Speaking at the receiving ceremony, the city’s chairman emphasized that HCMC is the country's major economic, scientific, cultural, and social center and has a responsibility to take the lead in concretizing cooperation projects with other countries, including Czech.
He affirmed that HCMC wants to promote comprehensive cooperation in the fields of politics, economy, and culture with Czech partners.
In the sectors of agriculture and food industry, the southern economic hub plays a significant role in Vietnam's agricultural economic chain. It serves as a market for various agricultural products, a hub for domestic and foreign import and export activities, a center for agricultural processing, logistics, export-import of seeds, and input for the agricultural industry.
HCMC has close relations with 13 Mekong Delta provinces. Therefore, when agricultural products access the city’s market, they can enter the markets in the Southern region. The Czech Republic has strengths in various agricultural products such as dairy, meat, and materials for the food industry. Hence, the two sides could further strengthen cooperation.
According to Chairman of the HCMC People's Committee Phan Van Mai, cooperation in agriculture and food industry between HCMC and Czech partners is the center of the collaboration in agricultural development between Vietnam and the Czech Republic. The governments of both countries must have guidelines and policies direction, and create conditions for the two sides to enhance cooperation. In addition, the two countries also need to strengthen collaboration in tourism, restaurants, and hotels. When direct flights between the two nations open, cooperation in tourism and tourism services will contribute to increasing trade turnover between the two sides.
Czech Minister of Agriculture Marek Vyborny agreed with the proposal of the HCMC’s Chairman on enhancing cooperation in various fields, including agriculture and the food industry.
He hoped that the Czech Republic and Vietnam would take further measures to promote bilateral trade turnover exchange.
According to the Minister of Agriculture of the Czech Republic, the total two-way trade turnover between the Czech Republic and Vietnam in 2023 reached more than US$2.5 billion.
Mr. Marek Vyborny highly appreciated the economic development potential of HCMC and believed that the city would be a destination for Czech businesses. Through the southern metropolis, Czech enterprises can penetrate the markets of other provinces and cities of Vietnam.
The Czech Republic calls for Vietnamese businesses, including those from HCMC, to visit and seek cooperation opportunities in the areas of agriculture and food processing; and is ready to cooperate with Vietnam to organize business meetings between the two countries in areas of mutual interest.
